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Sometimes info comes a little late….

When I got pregnant I subscribed to various sites and mailing lists. I haven’t unsubscribed from some of them, either because I forgot or was busy with other things. At first I wanted nothing to do with the emails and forums because they are cruel reminders of what I no longer have. But now I appreciate the information though it still kind of hurts to know that I should be x number of weeks at this point or that my baby is developing xyz in womb.

* I used to send this email out at 36 weeks. Then something terrible happened. For those who follow me on FB, you know that one of my subscribers died of preeclampsia 5 days before receiving this email (per her mother).

It hit me really hard.

If you’re in contact with 53k people, this type of thing is bound to happen, so please don’t be paranoid about it… but please DO read carefully. Thank you!!!

It is the most common of the gnarly pregnancy complications — and it can affect both mother and her unborn baby:

Preeclampsia

(sometimes called toxemia by the old-timers)

Preeclampsia affects about 5-8 percent of pregnancies (dang!), or an estimated 300k women per year in the United States alone. Because preeclampsia can come on very suddenly, you should be familiar with the symptoms.

Most women with preeclampsia will deliver a healthy baby and fully recover. However, some women will experience complications, several of which may be life-threatening to mother and/or baby. A woman’s condition can go from mild to severe very quickly.

Don’t want.

The causes of PE are still unknown, but the hallmarks are clear: both high blood pressureandprotein in your urine (this is why you pee in a cup at every OB visit). If protein is present, it’s a sign that the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys are leaking and spilling it into your urine (mind you, it’s normal to have a small amount of protein in your urine).

The Big Swell

The telltale symptom with pre-e is SwElLiNg — and lots of it. Swelling can occur in the face or around your eyes, it can be more than slight swelling of your hands, or excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles (not to be confused with summertime pregnancy elephant-cankles).

Some cankles.

This condition is called edema. The retention of fluid can lead to rapid weight gain, which is one of the reasons your doc checks your weight at every appointment and is concerned with sudden weight gain.

**This information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. The author does not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here.”

Just goes to show you that anything can happen at any time. If possible be aware but don’t stress. (easier said than done I know). Pre enclampisa still needs a lot of research it seems because there is still a lot that we just don’t know about it, but simply being aware can save you and hopefully your child’s life as well.

I don’t think anything would have changed if I had gotten this email earlier, but I do appreciate that this mailing list sees the importance of spreading this information sooner rather than later.